A Dog-Friendly Colorado Springs Trip: The Broadmoor, Bear Creek & Too Many Pretzels

In late September, Dad, Luna, and I flew to Colorado for five days, most of them spent at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Dad had a conference on the schedule, and the rest of our time went to red rocks, shop hopping in Manitou Springs, a creek Luna did not want to leave, and more pretzels than I planned on.

A quick note before we start: Luna is a trained service dog, and on this trip she went some places working and others off duty as a regular pet. Since most of you are traveling with regular pets, every Dog-Friendly Details block says which it was, so you know what actually applies to your dog. And as always, pet policies change, so confirm the current rules before you plan around any stop.

Wednesday Morning

The Flight: Chicago to Denver

Our flight left O’Hare at 8:04 a.m., which meant a wake-up time I’d rather not put in writing.

American Airlines flight 1225 was on an Airbus A319, one of the smaller planes in the fleet. I’d braced myself for something cramped, and it never felt that way. I spent the flight listening to the audiobook of Grim Tidings by B.K. Borison, which is the current Lunaria Society book club read. If you want to read along with us, come join us on Fable.

We landed at 9:34, almost half an hour ahead of schedule. I’ll take it.

Wednesday Afternoon

Checking In at The Broadmoor

Pulling up to check-in, we found a few deer grazing near the entrance. (Zoom in on the photo and you’ll spot them.) Luna stood frozen with her nose pointed straight at them. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing, and she wasn’t going to look away in case they disappeared.

Every dog staying at The Broadmoor joins the Pitty Pat Club, named after the poodle that belonged to Julie Penrose, who founded the hotel with her husband, Spencer. Membership comes with a brass bone-shaped tag that reads “Guest of The Broadmoor,” which your dog is supposed to wear for the whole stay. I hope they don’t want it back, because Luna has decided she’s a Broadmoor guest for life. Nobody has told her otherwise.

For the record, The Broadmoor is still one of my top two hotels in the U.S. It’s tied with the Hotel del Coronado, although I haven’t been to the Del in years, so The Broadmoor may have quietly taken the top spot.

Lunch on the Patio at The Hotel Bar

Our room wasn’t ready yet, so we grabbed lunch on the patio at The Hotel Bar. The patio is lined with flagstone and an iron railing full of red geraniums, with the mountains right behind it. Luna stretched out on the stone next to our table and made herself comfortable.

Dad and I shared the Prop & Peller Pretzel Bites. I had the chicken Caesar salad, and Dad had the salmon salad.

Once the room was ready, Dad and I took a much-needed nap. Our room had a door that opened onto a faux balcony, so we left it open and let Luna people-watch from her perch on the bed while we slept.

Wednesday Night

Dinner at Golden Bee

Dinner was at Golden Bee, a dark-wood pub on the Broadmoor property that’s been around since 1961 (the napkins will tell you). Luna stayed back in the room for this one.

I ordered The Golden Bee Chopped Salad and couldn’t finish it. It was huge, and it was good. Dad had a bowl of the French Onion Soup and said it tasted homemade, which from him is high praise. We split the Colossal Pretzel Twist, which arrives hanging from a metal stand over a dish of cheese dip.

If you’re keeping count, that’s two pretzel orders in one day. I’m not keeping count.

Thursday Morning

1909 Trolley Tour at Garden of the Gods

We took the 11 a.m. 1909 Trolley Tour at Garden of the Gods. The trolley leaves every hour from the Visitor & Nature Center, and it’s open-air, looping the whole park without stopping. This is a sit-back-and-look kind of tour.

Only one dog is allowed per tour, because dogs ride in the back row where there’s open floor space. That meant Luna had the back of the trolley more or less to herself. She made herself at home about halfway under the bench, lay down on the floor, and watched the rocks go by.

Our guide, Raven, was very nice and had a steady supply of great dad jokes, which is a bold move with my actual dad on board.

Thursday Afternoon

German Cinnamon Roll Pit Stop at Wimberger’s

We’d planned to stop at a restaurant for lunch, but it didn’t look as appetizing as we’d hoped. Nearby, though, we spotted Wimberger’s, a German bakery, and it smelled heavenly.

Most of the labels were in German. They had fresh meats, cheeses, breads, and a full bakery case, and it took me straight back to my 2012 trip to Europe and all the European snacks and chocolates that came with it.

We got the last cinnamon roll. It was slightly underbaked, which is my favorite way to have one, and the frosting was the kind that makes your eyes roll to the back of your head. I also picked up a jar of Mars spread. The entire back label is in German, so I’m going by smell for now, and it smells very promising. A spoonful is waiting for me at home.

Lunch at Phantom Canyon Brewing

Luna came with us to lunch on the patio at Phantom Canyon Brewing. As we ordered drinks, our server offered to bring Luna a bowl of water and a pup cup without us asking.

We started with the Elote Dip, Mexican street corn with lime, cotija, cilantro, and Tajín, served with tortilla chips. It was really good. Dad and I both ordered the Chicken & Bacon Salad. I mixed the Box Car balsamic with the honey white balsamic, which turned out to be a good call. Dad went with ranch.

Back at The Broadmoor

Back at the hotel, we sat in the rocking chairs on the patio facing Cheyenne Lake. (The hotel’s pet map calls it a lake, so that settles that.) Luna watched the fountains and every dog that walked by, then we took some pictures along the water before heading up to the room to read for a bit.

Later we took a walk around the lake and stopped at The Broadmoor Shop in the lobby of the Broadmoor West building. Luna came home with a bumblebee toy and treats, plus a bonus treat from the cashier at the register. I got the last sweatshirt in my size and a keychain for my travel collection. After that, we wandered through the shops in the main building.

Back in the room, Luna passed out at the end of the bed.

Thursday Night

Dinner at Atomic Cowboy

Dinner was at Atomic Cowboy in downtown Colorado Springs, which runs a few restaurants under one roof. We went in wanting breakfast from the Denver Biscuit Co. menu, but they don’t serve it at night, so we ordered from Fat Sully’s menu instead.

Dad had the Lights Out Burger (Double), a double smash burger with aged American cheese, house-made pickles, onion, and burger sauce on a garlic-butter-toasted brioche bun. He liked the burger. He also liked my fries.

I had the Chicken Tenders, buttermilk fried and served with house-seasoned waffle fries. I liked the fries too. The chicken was another story. Fair warning if you don’t handle spice well (I don’t): skip the tenders. They were so spicy that I couldn’t finish them, even after thoroughly coating every bite in honey mustard. Nothing in the menu description hints at heat, so consider this your heads-up.

Friday Morning

Dad was in meetings all day Friday, so the day belonged to Luna and me, and we started it slow. I spent the morning reading in the room with the balcony doors open, while Luna lay by the railing and kept an eye on the treetops below.

I packed two books for this trip, Grim Tidings and Phantom. I’m leaving with three.

My deluxe preorder of The Poison Daughter was delayed, then canceled because they ran out. The sprayed edge edition was sold out everywhere I looked, until a store near our hotel turned out to have a few copies left. It showed up at the front desk.

The Broadmoor also left a bookmark in the room, “with our compliments,” so between the book and the bookmark, I’m calling this trip a win.

Friday Afternoon in Manitou Springs

Our afternoon plan was Manitou Springs, and I’ll be honest: driving in the mountains is not for the faint of heart. We’re from the Midwest. I am not used to steep hills, sudden dips, and narrow roads with drop-offs right beside them.

There was an event going on downtown when we went, so we took a residential road to get there instead. It felt barely one lane wide, with a steep drop-off along the side, and I spent the entire drive white-knuckling the steering wheel and praying we didn’t go over the edge.

Parking was a bit of a bear, too. It’s mostly parallel parking, and the spaces are tight. If you want to spend a day shopping in Manitou Springs, I’d recommend taking an Uber or Lyft there and back and letting someone else handle the roads. If your dog isn’t a service dog, check that your rideshare app offers a pet-friendly option in the area, since drivers can otherwise turn down pets.

The Cauldron

Once we’d finally parked, every shop we walked into welcomed Luna. The Cauldron is a curiosity shop and independent bookstore with tarot, witchcraft, and oddities. I went in hoping for a shirt, but I didn’t see much in the way of plus sizes. I did leave with a Fourth Wing-inspired sticker, so the trip wasn’t a loss.

Flowers and the Moon

Just up the street, Flowers and the Moon is a flower and plant shop with a resident cat. We browsed the plants while Luna met the cat. Luna was mildly uninterested. The cat was considerably less sure about Luna. An employee made up for it by giving Luna a treat.

Fellow Folk

The employee at the register at Fellow Folk was really kind. I bought a dog sticker shaped like a dog with “Colorado Springs” written along its back, plus a bag of dog treats for Luna. Then the employee offered Luna a few more treats from behind the counter, which Luna accepted without hesitation.

Leprechaun Shoppe

My mom’s side of the family is Irish, and her maiden name is Kelly, so the Leprechaun Shoppe and its wall of family crest plaques was a required stop. (Yes, I took a picture of the Kelly one.) We just browsed here. Luna spent part of the visit studying her own reflection in a mirror.

Friday Afternoon

Bear Creek Dog Park

Bear Creek Dog Park was on The Broadmoor’s off-property walking map, and it earned its spot. It’s probably the best dog park we’ve ever been to: a big off-leash space with trails, hills, and a stretch of Bear Creek running right through it. A plaque at the entrance says it was named a Top 10 U.S. Dog Park in 2006, and I see no reason to argue.

We climbed some of the rocks and walked part of the trail, but Luna had one priority, and it was the water. She loved it. She waded, she wandered, she went back in.

She was even social with some of the other dogs, which is rare. Luna usually saves her affection for people and treats other dogs as background noise. Bear Creek apparently changed the rules.

Pet Pantry & Dog Wash

After the creek, Luna was wet and muddy in equal measure, so we took her to Pet Pantry & Dog Wash for a self-serve bath before she went anywhere near The Broadmoor’s bedding.

Friday Night

Dinner at The Penrose Room

Dinner was at The Penrose Room at The Broadmoor, with a group of six from the conference Dad was attending. With that many plates on the table, I can’t account for everyone’s order, but I can account for ours.

The table split three of The Penrose Room Caesar Salads, prepared tableside with baby romaine hearts, sesame brioche croutons, and Parmigiano Reggiano, along with the House Made Thick-Cut Bacon, served with tomato relish, roasted garlic, and grilled sourdough. We ordered a bottle of Rombauer red for the table.

Dad had the Smoked Risotto Ai Frutti di Mare, with Dungeness crab, Manila clams, and Maine lobster. I had the Pierre Poivre Prime NY Strip, a 12-ounce Black Angus strip topped with tobacco onions and served with a loaded truffle dauphinoise potato.

For dessert, the table shared two desserts, both flambéed tableside. The Baked Alaska had pear sorbet and chocolate ice cream under Italian meringue, and it came out with “Happy Birthday” written around the plate in chocolate, since this doubled as my belated birthday dinner (mine was September 8). The Cherries Jubilee was vanilla ice cream with Luxardo cherry liqueur and orange zest.

Belated, but I’ll take it.

Saturday Morning

Nails at The Broadmoor Spa

Saturday started with a nail appointment at The Broadmoor Spa. The technician was very nice. Meanwhile, Dad took Luna for a walk around Cheyenne Lake.

Saturday Afternoon

Lunch at Green Valley Ranch Beer Garden

On the way back toward Denver, we stopped at Green Valley Ranch Beer Garden, an outdoor beer garden with picnic-table seating. We both had burgers. Dad had tots, and I had sweet potato fries. Luna sat at our feet.

Honestly, it was okay. Nothing was wrong with it, and nothing about it would make me drive back, but it’s close to the airport if you need a stop with outdoor seating.

Saturday Night

DoubleTree by Hilton Denver International Airport

For our last night, we moved to the DoubleTree by Hilton Denver International Airport, a few miles from the terminal. It was pretty nice.

We ate dinner downstairs at Tower Tap & Grill while Luna stayed in the room. Dad had the chicken strips and the green chile soup. I had the turkey club with sweet potato fries, my second order of sweet potato fries that day, and I stand by both.

Sunday Morning

Denver International Airport

Our flight home was scheduled to leave just after 8 a.m. It is now a 9 a.m. takeoff. Allegedly – It’s now 9:37, and people are still boarding.

Which is how I ended up finishing this post from the airport, with Luna sitting next to me, back in her service vest and watching everyone else wait too. After five days of creek wading, shop treats, and meeting a lot of new people, she is taking the delay better than I am.

Summary Itinerary